Jeff Mitchell, who has inspired me to hike in several locations due to his blog and books, somewhat recently hiked the South Branch trail of Lackawanna State Park. He writes:
What a place to hike on a hot summer day, I thought. It was noticeably cooler in this deep, shaded glen along the creek. We reached a powerline swath and here it got a little confusing. The trail goes up the swath a short ways and then continues along an old grade higher above the creek. It was still a nice hike, although the floodplain along the creek is worth exploring.
Yes, it is a great place to hike when it is warmer. Here are my photos and notes of the trail. And yes it is cooler there. Also, I agree it can get confusing in this area he’s mentioning. Even if there isn’t snow cover it can be a little odd. This area of the park can use some attention.
He ended up going a little further than I did on the trail itself and then doubled back. Perhaps I’ll do the same thing the next time I hike this area because the journey I took ended up being 6 miles.